Awesome endings...
The daily Get It On production meeting has just ended and we've been going through the early e-mails for tonight's show. The theme is 'great endings' and it was suggested by Paul Grant, although he says credit must go to his girlfriend who had been singing Yellow Dog's 1978 hit, One More Night. " I hadn't heard it in nearly 30 years," said Paul. " I'd forgotten how good the ending was and hence the inspiration."
It's one of these themes that really gets you thinking. Aztec Camera's Oblivious, Rezillos' Top of the Pops and Bowie's Gene Genie immediately spring to mind for me, but top of my list has to be Kenny Rogers doing Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town.
Despite it's 'pub singer' reputation, it's actually a dark and tragic song, about the frustrations of a disabled Korean War veteran who's trying to hold on to the woman he loves. It was written by country singer, Mel Tillis and was allegedly inspired by the story of a World War 2 soldier who lived near him in Florida.
Towards the end of the song it gets increasingly dark. Ruby leaves and the guy in the song wishes he could get his gun "and put her in the ground". In the last line there's real despair in Kenny Rogers' voice as he growls, " For god's sake turn around..." The drums fade out and we're left not knowing what happened next...
Saying that, several months after Ruby hit the charts, a woman called Geraldine Stevens recorded a follow up hit. It was called Billy, I've Got To Go To Town which makes it sound less like a tragic love song and more like she's just popped out to M & S to get the shopping in.
I met Kenny Rogers last year when we were in Nashville doing . Just before the interview, I was told that I might not recognise Kenny as he'd...er...been taking very good care of his appearance!
Although he's been making records since the 50's, he's got the wrinkle free face of a twenty year old. Maybe when Ruby went to town Kenny asked her to get some of that magic moisturiser so beloved of stars of a certain age...
